


Swimming With The Freeman's

by lenkagaminecutelove



Category: The Boondocks
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Fear, Fluff, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22155778
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lenkagaminecutelove/pseuds/lenkagaminecutelove
Summary: Jazmine is afraid of water, having nearly been drowned at a young age. When her parents install a pool and her mom wanting to plan a summer pool party BBQ Jazmine turns to her best friend for help. Can Huey help Jazmine over come her fear?[this idea came from Gogeta1 who left a comment asking for this on another Boondocks fanfiction. Thank you so much.]
Comments: 2
Kudos: 4





	1. Getting Help

**Author's Note:**

> this idea came from Gogeta1 who left a comment asking for this on another Boondocks fanfiction. Thank you so much for your suggestion! Please leave a comment with some feed back or also any other fanfiction ideas for Boondocks you'd like me to write or any other shows with a variety of pairings

Jazmine sat in her backyard, staring at the pool her parents had paid thousands to install. It was a nice pool, set in the ground with a heater so the water wouldn’t be cold. An electronic cover for when it was not in use, stairs on one side leading in and the deepest end was seven feet. Her parents had gotten it because her mom, Sarah, said she would love for this summer to host pool parties. Get to know the neighbors better and all.

So they got the pool and Jazmine had been taken to the store and got three different swimsuits. She stood now at the stairs in one of those swimsuits. A one piece, light teal color, the straps crossed on her back to make an x shape. However she did not get in the pool, Jazmine could feel anxiety growing in her chest as an irrational fear built. 

She knew how to swim, her mom got her lessons when she was young. One year however at a public pool some kid was jumping into the pool and tried to jump over her. Needless to say instead of going over her the kid had landed on her. Nearly drowning her at the age of eight. Now fourteen years old she still wouldn’t get into any body of water no matter how small or how empty. The panic of near death clawing at her at just the thought.

Jazmine’s quick breaths were making her light headed and so she went back into the house running up to her room. Tears stung her eyes as she was filled with shame. How could something so simple as getting in a pool hurt her so much? She was pathetic! She wanted nothing more than to enjoy the water on this hot summer day. Maybe even invite friends from school over but, if she couldn’t even step foot in the water what was the point.

Jazmine changed into shorts and a t-shirt, she laid in bed crying to herself. She felt so embarrassed. Her only saving grace was that no one was around to see her break down. After half an hour, her tears dried up, she couldn’t take this anymore. This fear was starting to consume her life! She had to do something.

So Jazmine did the only thing she could think of.

______________________________________________________________________________

Huey was sitting in the living room reading a new book of his. Riley sat on the floor playing one of his video games, Riley was getting better at games as he got older and was actually finishing games instead of wandering around for hours. 

Huey’s taste in books to had changed as he aged, now fourteen years old he started to venture out into different styles of literature. He recently had decided fantasy books where what he would try this summer. He was reading The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. Some girls in his class had mentioned it so Huey thought why the hell not. So far it wasn’t bad. A knock on the door caught both boy’s attention but Huey was the one to get up. Marking his place by folding down the tiniest amount of the page corner, leaving the book on the couch he answered the door to see no other than Jazmine. 

“What do you need?” Huey and Jazmine were friends, not close in his books but his indifference towards her had faded.

“I need your help with something,” Jazmine said, casting a glance at Riley in the living room. Huey could tell this wouldn’t be a short visit so he stepped aside to let her in. Closing the door behind her Huey lead Jazmine upstairs towards his room so they could talk.

Huey sat at his desk and Jazmine sat at the foot of his bed, he turned the chair to face her, “So what do you wanna talk about?”

“Huey, have you ever tried to get over a fear and just couldn’t do it alone?” Jazmine looked at him cautiously, not wanting to be laughed at but desperate for help.

Huey however did know what it was like to be scared and not able to get over it. Although he had a tough exterior and everyone assumed by his willingness to push back against anything he thought was wrong meant he had no fear. They were all dead wrong. He feared one day he wouldn’t be fast enough to avoid Granddad’s beatings, which had gotten worse as the boys aged and got into even worse trouble. Huey never wanted to feel what Riley felt after every beating, never wanted to come back crying and regretting what he stood for. Huey also feared his family’s reaction to finding out his secret.

Huey had told no one, not his family or even Jazmine but, Huey was gay. He had kept it to himself for almost two years now, unable to think how his brother or Granddad would react to the news.

“You could say I know exactly what you mean,” Huey said, crossing his arms over his chest to protect himself. This surprised Jazmine, she thought Huey wasn’t scared of anything.

“I have a fear of water,” Jazmine went on to tell the story of how this fear came about. Slowly with a quiet voice, she was embarrassed as it was but to be telling her best friend made it worse. Somehow though it reassured her knowing he also had things he feared. Huey listened patiently and they sat for what had to of been hours talking to each other about the details of this fear. What about the water scared Jazmine, of course it was drowning as that had been what started this all years ago.  
“So what is it that your tryin’ to work towards?” Huey asked, for Jazmine to be motivated she needed an end goal.

“Mom said she wants to have all our friends over soon for a BBQ, swimming and good food. I guess I’d like to be able to swim with you and Riley during the BBQ,” Jazmine said. Huey didn’t bother correcting her assumption that the two boys could swim. As far as he knew neither boy knew how to swim but that wasn’t the point. The point was to get her in the water and as long as Huey’s feet reached the ground it would be fine. 

“Alright, we start bright and early tomorrow. For today just head home and center yourself, we aren’t gonna get anywhere if your all worked up before we even start,” Huey instructed and Jazmine didn’t question him. Having full faith in Huey and his ability to not only always be right, but somehow being able to see into the future. Neither were true of course Huey was just good at reading people and what they were maybe going to do, as well as having a pretty good guess based on what they might do what could happen. He just happened to be right more than he was wrong.

Jazmine went home and had dinner with her family, talking excitedly to her parents about how she and Huey were going to use the pool so much this summer. She told them how happy it made her they had gotten it. This relieved her parents as they had feared they had paid so much money for something that would terrorize their daughter.

Huey on the other hand after Jazmine had left walked to the nearest store that sold summer items. This just happened to be a five mile walk and anything he got Huey would have to carry back but for some reason Riley wanted to tag along with an extra pair of hands and someone to talk to it wasn’t that bad. Huey had went and bought a hot pink kitty pool, one that parents would buy for their toddlers. It didn’t even come up to Huey’s knee which made it a good starting point. 

Riley and Huey rolled the pool all the way home after buying it. “So why we get dis anyway?” Riley asked, not having known what they were looking for and now confused why his brother had bought a hot pink kitty pool with flowers all over it. 

“I’m helpin’ Jaz with somethin’,” Huey answered his brother not wanting to go into detail. Jazmine obviously was uncomfortable talking about it and didn’t want everyone to know. He could respect that.

“And dis will help her?” Riley asked, looking at Huey for an answer all he got was a nod and no further explanation. Oh well Riley thought I’ll find out sooner or later. With that the boys walked home taking turns on who rolled the pool, talking about anything and everything they could to fill the quiet between them.

The boys still fought but not as much anymore. Riley had started to change for the better so that lessened the conflict between the two.

______________________________________________________________________________

Jazmine showed up the next day ready to start, she followed Huey into the garage of their house, “What are we doing in here?” she asked.

“Did you want everyone seeing you tryin’ to get over your fear?” Huey asked and Jazmine shook her head and answered with a no. “That’s what I thought.” Huey laid the kitty pool down on the ground. 

“We’re gonna start small, without the water. Which yes I understand the whole point is to get over your fear of water but just trust me.” Huey continued and Jazmine for her part didn’t interrupt or question him. This is what she had asked for his help and she trusted his judgement. Huey opened the side door which lead outside and signaled for Jazmine to wait where she was. A few moments later Huey came back dragging hose behind him. “Alright to start we’re goin’ to have you sit in this little pool with no water, can you do that?” he asked her delicately. He wasn’t sure what was hard for her and what wasn’t.

Whether it scared her or not she gave him a chipper “Sure!” and stepped into the kitty pool before sitting down in it. Huey gave her a few minutes to sit in it and relax again. She had wore a swimsuit under her clothes like Huey had suggested she do for the day. This was so her fear and anxiety didn’t start from the second she put on the clothing. Trying to unlink her mind from associating swimsuit to water which then was link to drowning, so swimsuit meant drowning. 

“You good?” Huey asked.

“Yea, I’m good.”

“Alright then, I’m gonna add a little water into the bottom, not a lot but just enough to wet the bottom. If at any point you need to stop tell me.” Huey said, when he received another nod that she understood Huey unbent the hose, which was stopping the water. The water poured slowly into the pool and Huey stopped filling it when half an inch of water in the pool. Huey could see Jazmine struggle to remain calm, her breathing had quickened. Jazmine was pushing herself to sit in this small amount of water, if she could handle showers it made sense that she could sit in a puddle.

However sitting in puddle was so much different to her than standing under a spray from above. Huey snapped his fingers to get Jazmine’s eyes on him, “ Jazmine you need to breathe deeper or your going to pass out. Breath with me ok? Breath in one, two, three through the nose,” Huey showed her what he meant while he talked and she followed his lead. After showing Jazmine with a finger count of Huey holding in the air for two seconds he spoke again, “now out through the mouth one, two, three. And repeat.” they repeated this breathing together until Huey saw the tenseness in Jazmine’s body release and they just sat there for a while after.

Huey asked her what her parents were doing today. What she had told them she was doing today. Even let her ramble on about some show called The Voice her family had started watching. After what had to of been half an hour Huey picked up the hose again, “ I’m gonna add in a little more, we are gonna keep doing this. Add a little water, sit and talk and then add a little more. Until either this pool is filled or you need to stop for the day.”

Jazmine nodded her understanding, the plan seemed pretty straight forward. If there was one thing about Huey Jazmine knew it was when he attacked a problem he did it either head on or not at all. Either avoiding the issue or solving it with the most direct approach he could think of. If sitting a person who was afraid of water, in a small pool and slowly fill it with the person in the pool wasn’t direct than Jazmine didn’t know what else to call it. 

The water was not even high enough to cover Jazmine’s legs before she just couldn’t take it, couldn’t keep calm, “Ok stop stop! I’m done I can’t!” Jazmine stood quickly and nearly fell trying to get out of the pool. Breathing heavy and unable to stop shaking, Huey ran to shut the water off before coming back to comfort Jazmine. Huey wasn’t a touchy feely person, so he did what he was comfortable with doing, Huey grabbed both of Jazmine’s hands and held them gently while he got her to breath with him again. 

“I’m sorry Huey I tried I really did,” Jazmine said once she had collected herself enough to speak. Now however, she was on the verge of tears with shame of her failure.

“It’s okay Jazmine. We’ll try again tomorrow, you did really good so far. Getting over this stuff doesn’t happen right away.” Huey reassured her showing her a rare and gentle smile.

“Thank you,” was all Jazmine could say, giving Huey a smile of her own. The two stood in silence. Jazmine taking in all the comfort Huey’s presence alone gave her and Huey just tried to be as supportive as possible.  
After Jazmine went home, it wasn’t until the next day the two talked again. Huey fulfilled his promise and then repeating the same thing they had done the previous day once Jazmine was comfortable with sitting in the pool. Huey had dumped all the water out from the previous attempt, so it was like starting over with the water.


	2. Getting Over It

They did this for weeks, getting a little closer each time to the top of the kitty pool. It was the third week into doing this repeatedly day in and day out before they finally had made it past the first step. Huey and Jazmine were talking to each other as Huey filled the pool Jazmine sat in. 

Jazmine had started bringing with her rubber bands to keep her hands busy and her mind distracted to ease some of the anxiety. It worked pretty well playing with the rubber band and talking to Huey helped keep her calm for longer periods of time which helped her progress a little faster. 

Huey waited for Jazmine to finish her story about going to the movies with another girl in their class. What the movie was about and what snacks they had gotten, before Huey changed the subject, “Jazmine you wanna know somethin’?” 

“What?” Jazmine asked, completely confused by the change of topic.

“The pool’s full, has been for about twenty minutes” Huey replied with the tiniest of smirk on his face. Jazmine looked down at the water in surprise and realized it didn’t freak her out to now be sitting in a pool of water.

“That’s amazing Huey!” Jazmine lunged forward to hug her friend. “We did it! We did it!” Jazmine couldn’t have been happier if she tried.

“Calm down, we’re only one step closer,” Huey gently pushed her away.

“What do you mean? I’m in the water and I’m fine,” Jazmine said, not catching what Huey was trying to say.

“You can sit in something and let the water fill around you, but it’s a different story to get into something that’s already filled.” Huey explained. “Next we have to get you to step into something that already has water and be ok with it but that’ll wait for tomorrow.” Jazmine nodded her head.

“Meet tomorrow the same time as always?” Jazmine asked as she stood up in the pool and stepped out, grabbing the nearby towel to dry off, she couldn’t put her shorts and shirt back on over the swimsuit if she was still went.

Huey nodded, “From now on we’re meeting at your house.” Huey offered no reason why and Jazmine didn’t ask either. She stayed for dinner that night at Huey’s house because other than Huey helping her with her fear they are just good friends. Having grown up for years across the street from each other. Riley of course the whole dinner had to keep making comments about them dating and Granddad didn’t realize it was a joke. 

By the next morning Granddad had called Tom to see if he knew how long the two had been a couple. Tom of course was in shock and so was Sarah when Tom asked her. Huey showed up to their house, dressed in swim trunks and a t-shirt. Jazmine was waiting outside by the pool for Huey as that's where Huey said they would continue their plan. When Huey knocked on the front door it was Tom who answered. “Hello Huey,” Tom was his usual cheerful self.

“Hello Mr. Dubois, Jazmine out back?” Huey asked as he stepped into the home once Tom had moved to the side, closing the door behind Huey. 

“Yes, but Huey can we talk for a minute,” Tom stopped Huey before he could make his way to the back door. Huey nodded and faced the man. “It’s not that I disapprove, your a great kid and all it’s just, I would have appreciated you asking our permission first,”

Huey’s face turned a bright red catching on quickly to what Tom was saying, “Oh no sir Jazmine and I are just friends we aren’t together or anything,”

“Oh well that’s a relief,” Tom said laughing at how red Huey had become when someone seriously suggesting they were anything but friends. Tom squeezed Huey’s shoulder before sending him off to the backyard.

“Jazmine, your dad is weird,” Huey said to Jazmine. Jazmine was in her swimsuit sitting under the shade of the roof overhang.

“How so?” She asked but Huey didn’t explain just shook his head. Huey looked at Jazmine, noticing she was putting something on her skin.

“What’s that?” Huey asked.

“Sunblock, I figured since we’re going to be out in the sun we should use it,” Jazmine answered and handed the bottle to Huey.

“Sunblock? What for?” he turned the bottle in all different directions in his hands looking at it confused.

“So you don’t burn silly,” Jazmine answered with a slight giggle in her voice.

“I’m black, how can I burn?” Huey voice was defensive, not like being told what to do.

“Just do it, trust me,” was all Jazmine said and Huey shrugged his shoulders before repeating the motions he’d seen Jazmine do. Squeezing some of the cream onto his hands and rubbing it into the exposed skin.

Huey walked over to the steps of the pool once he was done and Jazmine followed, Huey sat down at the edge of the pool and put his feet into the water. “This is how we’re gonna start” Huey said as he looked up at Jazmine. Huey leaned back on his hands and just relaxed enjoying the summer breeze they had.

“Just put my feet in the water?” Jazmine asked as she sat down next to Huey.

“It’s our start, I’m not about to throw you into the pool,” Huey answered, “After a while if this is easy, we’ll try getting in step by step.” he continued and Jazmine nodded her head. Then slowly one foot at a time she placed her feet in the pool. Her feet weren’t in the what however, she kept them hovering just above the surface of the water. Jazmine and started to shake with fear and Huey remained a silent but constant comfort next to her. When Jazmine’s hand reached out on it’s own for his, Huey didn’t shake it away. Knowing that right now, Jazmine needed him for support to make it to the next step.

It took nearly an hour of the two sitting next to one another in the hot summer sun in silence for Jazmine to let her toes dip into the water. Once her toes where in the water it was like a whole new person as it took almost no time for her to relax enough to let her feet be completely consumed by the cool water. The hot summer sun made the heated water feel cold but not cold enough that it was a shock.

“I think I’m ready to try the stairs,” Jazmine said after about ten minutes of her feet being completely in the water.

“You sure?” Huey asked. Jazmine gave him a confident mm-hmm. “Alright then,” Huey stood and moved towards the stairs. The stairs were shallow allowing a slow descent into the water, perfect for the slow amount of rise in water they would need. Huey stepped down onto the first step and the water came to his ankles. Jazmine had followed him to the stairs, as she stared down at the step she had to take Jazmine held out both her hands. Huey took them both in support, giving her a safe anchor to hold onto while she pushed herself through this. Jazmine slowly took the first step down.

Once she was on the first step Jazmine had to go through the breathing exercises her and Huey had done to calm back down. This was it, she was in the water. WILLINGLY! She wasn’t running, or panicking. Mumbled questions were said between the two, Huey making sure as to when Jazmine was ready to try another. After a good twenty minutes she was ready to try another step down. Huey again took the second step first before watching Jazmine take it. He never let go of her hands as he stepped down, or while he waited for her to take the second step either. 

Once on the second step the water came half way up Huey’s shin, Jazmine’s breathing had picked up. She was nervous and shaking, but also excited and very proud of herself as she should be. “Maybe we should stop today,” Huey suggested not wanting to push her. They had taken two steps into the pool. They only had three more steps before they would be on the pool floor. That was the goal, get her into the pool for the BBQ.

“No I want to keep going,” Jazmine said, though her voice was shaky there was a fire in her eyes. This was the farthest she had ever come and she wasn’t ready to stop yet. 

“You sure?” Huey asked.

“Yes just, give me a minute,” Jazmine said. Huey did just that, gave her all the time she needed to adjust to the new limit she had reached. Once her shoulders relaxed and her breathing was steady, Huey simply informed her he was going to go down another step. The water now hit him just above the knee. This would be deeper than when Jazmine stood in the kitty pool just yesterday. It took longer this time for Jazmine to follow him down the step but she did make it down the step. 

Huey at no point rushed her down to where he stood. He didn’t talk to her during this, wanting her to be fully focused on what she was doing. Once she was on the step with him, Huey then began talking to her. Asking her about movies she had seen recently or were planning to see. That opened up the floodgates for Jazmine as she talked about any movie she had seen in the last year, telling Huey all about the movie and who she had gone with. Saying why she went to the movie and when she first saw the trailer if she remembered. After an hour Jazmine was acting like she wasn’t even in the water so Huey thought let's take another step down.

Huey stepped down again once he got Jazmine to stop talking, once the box was open there was almost no shutting it. The water came to Huey’s hip, since Jazmine was a little shorter is was even higher on her. Jazmine took a few deep breaths before taking the fourth step down. There was now only one step in between the pool floor and the step they stood on.

They stayed on the step for what felt like an hour but Jazmine couldn’t get herself to fully relax again. So the two called it a day and agreed that they would try the same thing the next day. So day in and day out Huey went over to Jazmine’s house. They talked and sat by the pool with their feet in the water. Then they took the steps one by one, each time they took a step Huey would let Jazmine calm back down first into a neutral state before going down to the next one. It only took a week and a half for Jazmine’s feet to finally meet the floor of the pool. 

Once Jazmine’s parents had found out what they were doing and how well it went, Sarah started to plan the BBQ. 

______________________________________________________________________________

It was the fourth of July and the Freeman’s were at the Dubois’ house for a BBQ. Riley and Huey both wore their swim trunks over to the house and while Granddad, Mr. and Mrs. Dubois and Uncle Ruckus, along with Mr. Wuncler all talked and drank while the meal was being prepared Jazmine was already in the pool. She still hadn’t gotten over to the deepest part or started just jumping into the water, always taking the stairs, but this was far better than she ever was.

Since the first day Jazmine had been fully in the pool she would try and go in every day, with or without Huey to help her. The water still made her nervous but she wasn’t afraid anymore. Riley was all for playing in the pool on a hot summer day. They had water guns to play with and pool basketball. Huey on the other hand hung out on the steps, sitting on them and not wanting to go any further into the water.

“Come on Huey, don’t be a hater!” Riley had yelled from halfway across the pool, where him and Jazmine had started a splash war which neither were winning. Huey gave no response and this made Jazmine come over to talk to Huey.

“You don’t like swimming?” she asked confused. Why would he have helped her for so long and not said he didn’t like swimming.  
“I like water fine. I’m just not into splashing about,” Huey said, not telling her the truth that he couldn’t actually swim. How Riley was able to confused Huey. Must have learned to at some point going over to Eddie’s house all the time, they had a big ass pool. No doubt Riley had fallen in the pool enough times to just figure out how to swim on his own. Huey did not have the same life experiences. 

“So, when you said you understood when I told you I was afraid. What did you mean by that?” Jazmine asked, wondering if the reason Huey didn’t want to play with them had something to do with him understanding her.

Huey however, saw right through her and looked at Jazmine and gave a knowing smile. “Trust me when I say, it has nothing to do with water.” with that Huey didn’t say anymore. That did however get him to leave the steps and pick up a water gun to shoot Riley with. Who had been making kissy faces at Jazmine and Huey while they talked. With that one retaliation the war between Riley, Huey and Jaz had begun as there was more than enough water guns to go around. Eventually Ed Wuncler the third also showed up with his friend Rummy who also got in the pool and joined the fight. There was no clear winner, no matter how much Riley argued he won, by the time the food was ready and they all went inside to eat Riley, Jazmine, Huey, Ed the third and Rummy were all soaking wet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this idea came from Gogeta1 who left a comment asking for this on another Boondocks fanfiction. Thank you so much for your suggestion! Please leave a comment with some feed back or also any other fanfiction ideas for Boondocks you'd like me to write or any other shows with a variety of pairings


End file.
